Thats why I was using the tracker to see how long it takes him to get my letters. Mine only worked before I started putting my mg# on the envelope I had two that was already in route when I made the Mg account and those two show but nothing after I made the mg. I tried contacting them but no response. Im probably just going to delete my account then because I doubt I'll get a response I've been waiting over a week now.

- Mail sent 10/29 “using MG number”
- 11/8 Email from MailGuardtacker @ 2:37am (Mail received and scanned)
- 11/8 Email from MailGuardtracker @ 1:12pm (Mail reviewed by MailGuard & forwarded electronically for printing at the facility + reference number)
- 11/19 called MailGuard was given a PA number for assistance 717-728-4122 (DOC eastern region deputy secretary Michael Wenerowicz) Gave him my MailGuard reference # inmates name and inmates #. He said he would be in contact with the facility at which the inmate was in “SCI Chester” and informed me that it had been way to long and the mail shouldn’t have taken that long.
-11/20 Email from MailGuardtracker @ 6:28am (mail printed at the facility for final delivery to inmate.
-11/23 inmate finally received mail

So I care very much for a friend at SCI Cambridge Springs. I asked what I could do for her, could I send her anything, magazines, she said they had to come directly from the publisher. So I purchased two subscriptions for her. Well, since she gave me the new PADoC Smart Communications address, the magazine change of address form will not accept the new address. It says it's not a valid street name, and doesn't give me room to fit her name, inmate #, plus the Smart Communications part and name of her facility.. I've tried using the address lines, but no matter how I format it, the site says it's invalid and undeliverable. I was just wondering if any of you know if I might be able to still have magazines sent directly to Cambridge Springs since they're coming from Hearst, not an individual, so obviously cannot contain contraband? Thanks in advance.

I just learned about these horrible new mailing rules. I am sending a Christmas card to a prisoner that is being held in SCI Phoenix. I am putting my new Smart Communications MG# next to my return address. The card will be mailed on Saturday, December 8, 2018. Does anyone think the person that I am sending this card to will actually receive a copy of the card before Christmas?

Also, I just put some money on this person's books via the JPAY.com website. Does JPAY.com or the PA DOC notify the prisoner when someone puts money into their commissary account? Are the prisoners notified promptly? Can the prisoner see who sent them the money?

Many of the letters I send each week reach the prisoners without any notice from SMART. It seems their tracking system is hit-or-miss. Since the receipt of the letter is what I care about most, I don't rely on the MG system. At best, if I get one notice per batch of mail, I can assume the entire batch has entered the system.

As for a notice that the letter has been printed ... That's not technically possible. At best, MG can tell that the electronic file has arrived at the destination facility. They have no way to confirm that the file has actually been printed to paper, let alone delivered to the prisoner. The printing at the prison is a function of the facility and the people working there. It doesn't surprise me that a few files miss the print queue and sit until the next day.

Letters I mailed a week ago appeared in my MG account today. I think the system is speeding up. A Christmas card mailed on the 8th should be there in plenty of time.

Many of the letters I send each week reach the prisoners without any notice from SMART. It seems their tracking system is hit-or-miss. Since the receipt of the letter is what I care about most, I don't rely on the MG system. At best, if I get one notice per batch of mail, I can assume the entire batch has entered the system.

As for a notice that the letter has been printed ... That's not technically possible. At best, MG can tell that the electronic file has arrived at the destination facility. They have no way to confirm that the file has actually been printed to paper, let alone delivered to the prisoner. The printing at the prison is a function of the facility and the people working there. It doesn't surprise me that a few files miss the print queue and sit until the next day.

Letters I mailed a week ago appeared in my MG account today. I think the system is speeding up. A Christmas card mailed on the 8th should be there in plenty of time.

Thanks for your help. I just received an email from Smart Communications telling me that a copy of my Christmas card will be sent to my friend at SCI Phoenix. The whole process took less than a week.

I sent another letter out November 30th. Still haven’t gotten any notification received or reviewed as of today. I did call the mailroom at SCI Chester and she looked it up and said they had received the letter but haven’t reviewed it yet. She said it should be sometime this week. Altogether it’s been 1 day shy of two weeks not including weekends

We're seeing that the MG system just isn't being employed to a lot of mail. I often send letters whit the address lines flipped as you described; that seems to have no effect. Only one of the seven letters I mailed last Monday is being tracked by MG and yet all of them will likely arrive. That seems to be the pattern thus far.

The Prison Society is monitoring this and reporting on it regularly to the DOC administration. All we keep hearing is, "It will get better." Somehow, I doubt that. I believe SMART is overwhelmed and understaffed. I believe their staff simply scan the mail without bothering to perfomr the extra step of keying in the MG number on the envelope.

The "review" at the prison also sounds like a dodge. The mail is supposed to be printed automatically once it reaches the prison. I would guess they're just trying to help explain the backlog by taking some of the hit.

Just a quick update mail sent out 12/13 mail processed by secured communications at 12/21 and went out for final delivery by sci 12/24. Just got notification.

I wrote a letter to gov wolf's office about this. How communication with family for inmates is key to the rehabilitation process. I understand the need for added security. I do. But there has to be a better way than this. Maybe a centralized system within the state that's part of the USPS would be a better choice. They are already equipped to handle mail. A few additional steps shouldn't be more expensive.

Ok I just received a bunch of notifications from mail guard. Unfortunately one of my letters was rejected with the reason being "no permission" anyone know what this mean?? Will I get my letter and picture back? Or is it gone forever?

Me being a former Penn State Prison inmate, again I will say that "Mail Call" for us was the very most important time of our day!!

After Mail Call and no letter or a response from a friend or family member or lawyer - down in the dumps I would go until the next day. The next day drags on until Mail Call again. Waiting patiently in my cell for the mail just before "Count Time" - once again no mail.

Connection to the "outside world" is only by an inmate's incoming mail. Being an inmate makes you feel so cut off from the world outside!! Mail is one of the only things that helps you hang on and give you any type of feelings that things will get better; a love letter from your better half, a note from your child, a letter from your lawyer; anything!

Being on the outside for so many years now I hate receiving "junk mail" each day; flyers, offers for this and that etc, but while in prison I used to encourage "junk mail" to be sent back to me just so I would hear my name during "Mail Call". This gave me that little piece of substance reminding me that there is a world out there somewhere!!

What is going on with this company that is supposed to be receiving, scanning and forwarding the mail to the inmates?? Seems like another monopoly just like "Keefe" the commissary. Regulate the prices and pay what we say or "starve". Commissary was the second most important thing to us.

Not attempting to change the thread topic but trying to relate my feelings as an ex-inmate as to how I would feel at this point with these huge delays.

I could not even imagine the tension and stress that is building up in the inmates at this point. the PA DOCs method to solve their problem may in fact cause many more more serious problems within the prisons themselves. I don't know how much more the inmates will be able to handle.

I do know that when I was on the outside and my loved one was on the inside I experienced a tremendous amout of anxiety waiting for his return letters to mine. Waiting at the mail box each and every day. That was when the turn around time was just a few days. Now I am seeing weeks for a turn-around??!! Is this really the case here??

If the DOC thought they had a real problem with the substances coming in thru letters affecting staff just wait until the tensions of the thousands of inmates start to explode over time about their delayed mail - AGAIN, ONE OF THEIR ONLY CONNECTIONS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

(Note: I only put in capital to make it well known how the inmates must be feeling at this point - I was not yelling at this community). Gov Wolf and Penn DOC, wake up!! You may have some serious issues to worry about in the near future. Please don't do this to the inmates and their families!! Please find a better way!! and not just a "quick fix" that makes you feel better.

Believe me, I know how dangerous drugs can be when smuggled into a prison. I was attacked one night by my cell-mate who had a mental health issue. 3am I am screaming for the guard on duty to help me. He poked his head in the window of my cell door while talking on his walkie-talkie for back-up. What felt like hours later many guards came bursting into my cell to subdue my cell mate who was on top of me beating me.

Me being a former Penn State Prison inmate, again I will say that "Mail Call" for us was the very most important time of our day!!

After Mail Call and no letter or a response from a friend or family member or lawyer - down in the dumps I would go until the next day. The next day drags on until Mail Call again. Waiting patiently in my cell for the mail just before "Count Time" - once again no mail.

Connection to the "outside world" is only by an inmate's incoming mail. Being an inmate makes you feel so cut off from the world outside!! Mail is one of the only things that helps you hang on and give you any type of feelings that things will get better; a love letter from your better half, a note from your child, a letter from your lawyer; anything!

Being on the outside for so many years now I hate receiving "junk mail" each day; flyers, offers for this and that etc, but while in prison I used to encourage "junk mail" to be sent back to me just so I would hear my name during "Mail Call". This gave me that little piece of substance reminding me that there is a world out there somewhere!!

What is going on with this company that is supposed to be receiving, scanning and forwarding the mail to the inmates?? Seems like another monopoly just like "Keefe" the commissary. Regulate the prices and pay what we say or "starve". Commissary was the second most important thing to us.

Not attempting to change the thread topic but trying to relate my feelings as an ex-inmate as to how I would feel at this point with these huge delays.

I could not even imagine the tension and stress that is building up in the inmates at this point. the PA DOCs method to solve their problem may in fact cause many more more serious problems within the prisons themselves. I don't know how much more the inmates will be able to handle.

I do know that when I was on the outside and my loved one was on the inside I experienced a tremendous amout of anxiety waiting for his return letters to mine. Waiting at the mail box each and every day. That was when the turn around time was just a few days. Now I am seeing weeks for a turn-around??!! Is this really the case here??

If the DOC thought they had a real problem with the substances coming in thru letters affecting staff just wait until the tensions of the thousands of inmates start to explode over time about their delayed mail - AGAIN, ONE OF THEIR ONLY CONNECTIONS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

(Note: I only put in capital to make it well known how the inmates must be feeling at this point - I was not yelling at this community). Gov Wolf and Penn DOC, wake up!! You may have some serious issues to worry about in the near future. Please don't do this to the inmates and their families!! Please find a better way!! and not just a "quick fix" that makes you feel better.

Believe me, I know how dangerous drugs can be when smuggled into a prison. I was attacked one night by my cell-mate who had a mental health issue. 3am I am screaming for the guard on duty to help me. He poked his head in the window of my cell door while talking on his walkie-talkie for back-up. What felt like hours later many guards came bursting into my cell to subdue my cell mate who was on top of me beating me.

Thank you so much for your insight. I often wonder what my fiancé is going through in there. I haven't heard from her in over 12 days and it's bugging me. It's been 16 days since I last heard her voice. My letters are taking weeks to arrive according to the tracker. Maybe soon she will be able to call or I will be able to visit. She got out of Medlock 17th of December.

You know there are a lot of studies that say recidivism is greatly reduced by close ties and open communication with a love one that's incarcerated. Why would they make things more difficult to do just that is beyond me.

Just a reminder that the MailGuard system is hit-or-miss. I send a batch of letters each Monday (6 to 10) and will usually get tracking back on one or two in the batch. Prisoners then reply with the date they get the letter and all of them arrived.

Well guys I have some weird news for you. I just called SCI muncy. Trying to figure out why my mail has been rejected for "no permission".

As you know smart communications has asked us to put our mail guard # next to our names. Apparently SCI muncy has been rejecting letters with the mail guard # on them... They thought it was my inmate #. You should've heard the panic when she though an inmate was calling her from a cell phone!! I'm like nooo that's not an inmate number that's the number they use to track the letters .... So if you're sending letters in muncy sci and has had it rejected ... This is probably why.

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You can send up to 25 photos. The photos will be scanned and printed onto copy paper. The original photos are to be discarded.
The time line for delivery varies from a little over a week to two weeks, is my experience. So far, we've havent had any issues with the print quality but I've seen complaints from others.